Capture-type combination action for organs



Oct. 4, 1960 c. A. RAYMOND CAPTURE-TYPE COMBINATION ACTION FOR ORGANS Filed Feb. 20, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Q vw mm 7 Oct. 4, 1960 c. A. RAYMOND 2,954,716

CAPTURE-TYPE COMBINATION ACTION FOR ORGANS Filed Feb. 20, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm. W N2 fi 3 5m to .52: 22.54 m 16.5 mJOwZOu m m 2 V E. mm

Oct. 4, 1960 c. A. RAYMOND 2,954,716

' CAPTURE-TYPE COMBINATION ACTION FOR ORGANS Filed Feb.' 20, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet S Oct. 4, 1960 c. A. RAYMOND 2,954,716

CAPTURE-TYPE COMBINATION ACTION FOR ORGANS FiledFeb. 20, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent CAPTURE-TYPE COMBINATION ACTION FOR ORGANS Chester A. Raymond, Princeton, NJ., assignor to Organ Industries, Inc., Princeton, NJ., a corporation of New This invention relates to organ actions. It is particularly applicable to capture-type combination actions, used in connection with pipe organs or electronic organs.

Capture type combination actions for organs typically include, in addition to the keys, a stop tablet (control) for each stop, a series of manual pistons, and a setter button.

Before playing the organ, the organist normally desires to preset the action so that individual manual pistons are capable of controlling a selected plurality of stops. When the action has been thus pre-set, the manual pistons may be said to have cauptured these stops. These setting functions, and the components within the action which perform them, are sometimes referred to as the setting side.

Then, when the organist wishes to operate the captured stops associated with a particular piston, he depresses that piston. This shifts these captured stops, and their tablet controls, to the on position. Now when the keys are played, the tones controlled by these stops will be heard. This shifting of the stops to the on position, with the aid of the piston, and the components within the action which perform this function, are sometimes referred to as the operating side.

Heretofore the chief components for the setting side have been separate and distinct from those for the operating side. Such prior systems have been extremely complex mechanisms.

An object of the present invention is to produce a simpler and better action for organs.

The present invention provides an entirely new type of system and mechanism for setting and operating, and has as one of its features the provision of certain components which perform both setting and operating functions, and which do so with an entirely new mode of operation. This new mechanism makes it possible to eliminate an extremely large number of switching contacts and associated wiring used in prior systems. As will appear, a single contact can be employed to set on, there being no off contact for setting purposes.

There have heretofore been employed an array of parallel trace bars, one for each manual piston. Associated with the array of trace bars has been an array of setting-on contacts, which have sometimes been in the form of contact wires, there being a number of such contact wires for each trace bar.

Thesetting operation has comprised shifting selected ones of these setting-on contacts from a position where they do not touch their associated trace bars to a position of electrical contact with them. Heretofore, when the setting operation had been performed, the electrical contact between these selected individual contacts and their trace bars was complete.

In such prior systems, in series with the setting-on contacts was an entirely separate second set of contacts, forming an operating switch, used on the operating side. There were as many such operating switches as there were pistons.

In the system to be described herein, a new type of trace bar performs both setting and operating functions, and makes it possible to eliminate a great deal of wiring.

In one embodiment of the system of the present invention, trace bars are employed including a metallic conducting member, and a strip of insulating material movably mounted on one side of this member, near the bottom edge thereof. The forward end of this insulating strip extends beyond the forward end of the trace bar conducting member. When a contact is set on," the contact is shifted to a position where it is pressed against the insulating member. It is urged toward, but does not engage, the conducting member. It is thus in a captured condition, but unlike prior arrangements, it is not in actual electrical contact with the trace bar, but is potentially-on.

When it is desired to actuate a manual piston and thereby operate the stops which have been captured by its trace bar, the trace bar is shifted longitudinally in position, and because of a novel lock and key or bumper mechanism described herein, first the insulating strip and then the trace bar bumps against a bumper member, and relative motion is produced between the insulating strip and the trace bar. This moves the insulating strip upwardly, away from the bottom edge of the trace bar conducting member and enables the cap tured contacts to move into electrical engagement with that member.

The contacts associated with the trace bars perform both setting and operating functions. These contacts are arranged in groups, different members of a group being associated with different trace bars. The members of each group are carried on a common support and electrically connected together and to an on coil of a console stop action unit. When one of the contacts is moved into electrical contact with one of the trace bars, this operates its. stop action, as desired. It does so by energizing the on coil of the console stop action unit, which shifts its stop tablet to an on position.

The lock and key or bumper mechanism is controlled by a setter button. Depending upon its position, this mechanism, with associated elements, determines whether actuation of the manual piston causes the trace bar to shift forwardly and upwardly so as to enable the setting function to be performed, or to shift forwardly to an intermediate position, when the insulating strip pushes against the bumper member, so as to retract this strip, thereby enabling the operating function to be performed. In one form of the invention having unique advantages, the bumper member, in addition to performing this function, itself serves as one contact of a switch, for which the trace bar conducting member is the other contact. For this purpose the bumper member is of metal. This switch is connected to control the off coil of the console stop action unit. The apparatus is constructed so that when the trace bar moves forwardly toward the intermediate position, there is a time delay between the engagement of the captured contacts with the trace bar conducting member and the engagement of that member with the bumper member. This may be part of an arrangement for energizing its off coil, and also helps assure that the contacts can engage the conducting member.

In another embodiment of the trace bar mechanism, the arrangement of the conducting member and the insulating member are somewhat interchanged. The contacts' are set against one side of'an insulating member, carrying, on that same side, a conducting member which normally does not engage the contacts but which, for tEe operating function, is cammed into engagement with t em.

There is thus provided, by the present invention, a

combined setting and operating mechanism representing an entirely novel type of action.

Among the many advantages and features made possibleby the system are the following:

(1) It eliminates the necessity for piston operating switches separate from the trace bar, and magnets to control them.

(2) It provides contacts and a trace bar which now serve for both setting and operating.

(3) It eliminates wiring between the prior setting-on contacts and the prior piston operating switches.

(4) The mechanism for supporting and shifting the combined setting and operating contacts, and the electrical circuits associated with these contacts, are simpler and better than for the prior setting-on contacts.

(5) A single magnet, which shifts the trace bar, supplies power for the setting function and also for the operating function.

(6) A bumper member controls the motion of the trace bar, for setting or for operating, and also serves, with the trace bar, as part of a switch for controlling an off coil of a console stop action unit.

These and other features and objects obtainable by the practice of the present invention Will be readily unders'tood by persons skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawings, which describe and illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view, chiefly in side elevation, of a trace bar switching mechanism, including an insulating strip and a bumper member, for use in a capture-type combination action for an organ. In this figure, the trace bar is all the way to the left. A portion of the bumper member is shown in vertical section, in the region of a notch.

Figure 2 is a view of the same mechanism shown in Figure 1, with certain portions broken away, but the trace bar has been shifted toward the right to an intermediate position where it engages a tooth of the bumper member. This member is in its locked position, and is shown in vertical section through one of its teeth. Relative motion between the insulating strip and the trace bar has raised the insulating strip so as to expose the lower edge of the trace bar, and permit electrical contact between it and certain contact members.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, in end elevation, of the trace bar mechanism of Figure 1, as viewed from the right-hand end, but with the bumper member 40 removed for clarity. This view shows a contact urged against and set on the insulating strip, which, being in its down or shielding position, is interposed between the contact and the trace bar.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the mechanism as shown Figure 2, from the position 44, chiefly in cross-section. The positions of the elements in Figure 4 differ from those in Figure 3 in that in Figure 4 the insulating strip has been raised or retracted to enable the contact to engage the trace bar.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the mechanism of Figure 2 chiefly in end elevation, showing the notched bumper member in its locked position, where its tooth impedes motion of the trace bar past the intermediate position, and causes the insulating member to be raised, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.

Figure 6 is an enlarged end elevational view of the same mechanism, showing the bumper member shifted toward the left to its unlocked position, where it has enabled motion of the trace bar through the notch all the way forwardly and upwardly, to its uppermost position.

Figure 7 is a view, chiefly in side elevation, from the same viewpoint as Figures 1 and 2, of the trace bar mechanism, in its uppermost position, all the way to the right, extending through and above the notch of the bumper member, as in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view, in end elevation, of several trace bar assemblies, also showing in side elevation several associated contacts, with their common supporting member. In this figure, all the contacts shown are in the off position, their supporting member being positioned to the right. Figures 9 through 12 show the same elements as does Figure 8, but in different positions.

Figure 9 is like Figure 8, except that the supporting member for the array of contacts has been shifted to the left'.

Figure 10 is like Figure 9 except that one of the trace bars has been raised, preparatory to setting its associated contact members against its insulating strip.

. Figure 11 is like Figure 10, except that the previously raised trace bar has now been lowered, with its associated contact member now on its left side.

Figure 12 is like Figure 11, except that the support member for the contacts has now been again shifted to the right, leaving the central contact pressed against the insulating member, and hence captured, the other contacts being in an off position.

Figure 13 is a schematic circuit diagram of an organ action system employing the combined setting and operating mechanism of Figures l-12.

Figure 14 is an elevational view of a different embodiment of the contact associated with the trace bar, and of the arrangement for setting this contact.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional View, in the plane 15-15, through the apparatus of Figure 14.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary view, chiefly in side elevation, of another form of the trace bar switching mechanism, in a position corresponding generally to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 17 is a view of the same mechanism as that shown in Fig. 16, but in a position corresponding generally to that of Fig. 2.

Certain features of the combined operating and setting trace bar mechanism will first be described in connection with Figures 1-12 and then the system employing the mechanism of Figures 1-12 will then be described in connection with Figure 13.

In Figure 1 there is shown a ti-shaped metal support member 20, a metallic, electrically-conductive trace bar member 22, movably carried by, and embraced from above by, the support member 26, and an insulating strip 24, movably mounted on the conductive trace bar 22. The insulating strip 24 is of insulating material, for example, a thermosetting plastic material, and although it need not be extremely strong, it should for best operation be sufiiciently firm that it may be shifted generally longitudinally and upwardly, against the force of a biasing spring, by the application of force to one of its ends, as described below.

As shown in Figure 2, the bar 22 is provided with a plurality of slots 26 which, starting from their right-hand end, extend first generally horizontally and veiy slightly downwardly to the left, to an intermediate position,

and then downwardly to the left along a much more steeply slanting path.

Extending through holes in the support member 20 and slidably through the slots 26 in the bar 22 are a series of eyelets 28, which bear against the upper edges of the slots 26, and thereby support the bar 22. It may be seen that if the bar 22 is shifted toward the right, the upper edges of the slots 26, and the eyelets 28, will serve to provide a cam-and-follower action, which eventually, when the bar 22 is shifted all the way to the right, will lift the bar 22. Because of the shape of the slots, however, during the first portion of the motion, up to the intermediate position, there is very little lift ing action. In the last portion of the motion, because the slots are rather steeply slanted, there is a lifting action.

The insulating strip 24 is provided with slots 39 slanting downwardly, from left to right, as shown from the viewpoint of Figures 1 and 2. Extending through each of these slots is a supporting member 32 having an outer shoulder or flange, adapted to allow the insulating strip to be moved from a starting position where it shields the lower edge of the trace bar 22, upwardly and to the left to a retracted position where it exposes that edge.

For urging or biasing the insulating strip 24 downwardly and to the right, there is provided a spring 34 having one end 36 affixed to the bar 22 and the other end 38 afiixed to the strip 24.

There is provided a notched bumper or lock member 40 adapted to be moved in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper, as shown in Figure 1, that is, to the left or right, as shown in Figure 5. This member has one notch 42 in its upper edge, for each trace bar with which it is associated. When this bumper member is shifted to the right, to. its locked position, a portion of it, which may be referred to as a tooth 44, comes into alignment with the trace bar 22, and the insulating strip 24, so that motion of the trace bar 22 to the right causes this bar to bump into the bumper member when the trace bar has reached its intermediate position. Shortly before the trace bar reaches this position, the forward 'or right-hand edge of the insulating strip 24, which extends beyond the forward edge of the trace bar 22, engages and bumps against a tooth 44 of the bumper member 40. After the insulating member 24 has engaged the bumper member, further forward motion of the trace bar 22 produces relative motion between the insulating strip 24 and the trace bar 22, and because of the relationship of the slots 30 and their associated supports 32, this relative motion is in a direction to retract or lift the insulating strip 24 upwardly and away from the lower edge of the bar 22, so as to expose that edge.

There are provided a plurality of groups of metallic whisker-like contact members 46, each of resilient or spring-like electrically conductive material. A group of these contact members is carried by a support member 48, to which they may be eyeleted. All the contact members 46 in a group, carried by a single support member 48, are electrically connected together. This may be accomplished by wiring them together, or by using an electrically conductive support member 48 which serves to provide an electrical connection between them.

All (or any one of) the contact members 46 of a given group, carried by a single support, serve to control a given stop of the organ.

Carried by the member 48, there is, for each of the contacts 46, a spring or damper member 49. This member has an upper portion near its end bent so that the damper member 49 tends resiliently to restrain the contact member 46 against motion toward the right. This has a damping effect, advantageous at times, in maintaining the contact 46 in its proper position, and also in damping it against vibrations which might otherwise occur at certain times when that contact, having been pressed against the trace bar assembly, is allowed to spring from one side to the other.

The action is provided with one manual piston for each of the trace bars. In a manner to be described, this piston is capable of shifting the trace bars forwardly, toward the right, either all the way or to an intermediate position.

The action is provided with one manually operable setter button for the entire action. It is also provided with a plurality of manually operable stop tablets, one for each of the stops. When certain selected stop tablets are actuated, and then the setter button is depressed, the support members 48 associated with those stop tablets will be shifted toward the left, as viewed in Figure 6, for example. The setter button also controls the position of the bumper member 40.

The manner in which the manual piston, the setter button, and the stop tablets perform their functions will be described subsequently, but first the sequence of motions of the trace bar, its insulating strip, one of its associated contacts, and the bumper member, will be summarized.

Trace bar motion for setting selected COIllaltlS against insulating strip Let it be assumed that the organist wishes to capture, for the manual piston associated with the trace bar 22, stops including the one controlled by the contact 46. The initial relationship of the support member 48 and its contacts to a series of trace bars is shown in Figure 8. The organist now actuates to the on position the stop tablet associated with the contact 46, and then depresses and holds in the setter button. When the setter button is depressed, it shifts the bumper member 40 to the unlocked position, and also has the efiect of shifting the support member 48 to the left, as shown in Figure 9. This shifting is accomplished with the aid of relay and solenoid means to be described. It may be observed that the contact members like 46, then bear against the righthand side of the trace bars, as shown in Figure 9.

This reverse or right-hand side is coated with insulating paint, for example of a plastic type. This paint prevents electrical contact between the contacts and this right-hand side.

The organist then, while holding the setter button in, depresses the manual piston, which shifts the trace bar 22 forwardly, through the slot 42, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and this raises that trace bar, as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 10, allowing the contact member 46 to spring to the left-hand side of the insulating strip 24 of the trace bar 22.

While still holding the setter button in, the organist releases the manual piston which controls the trace bar 22, and this causes the trace bar 22 to be returned backwardly and downwardly to its original position. Spring means, or gravity, or both, serve to provide the force for this restoring action.

- As may be seen in Figure 11, the selected contact members such as 46, are now to the left-hand side of their trace bars, facing their insulated strips, but other unselected contacts, such as 60 and 62, are still to the righthand side of their trace bars.

When the organist then releases the setter button, this allows the support member 48 to shift to the right, to the position shown in Figure 12. This presses the contact member 46 toward the trace bar 22 and into engagement with the insulating strip 24. It is then in a captured position. The other unselected contact members, such as 60 and 62, are in an off position, and are not urged toward their trace bars.

Trace bar motion for operating the selected contacts When the organist now wishes to operate the stops thus captured, he depresses only the appropriate manual piston. Because the setter button is not depressed, the bumper member 40 is in the locked position, as shown in Figure 5. When the manual piston controlling the trace bar 22 is depressed, this shifts that bar toward the right or forwardly, as has been described in connection with Figures 2, 4, and 5, causing the trace bar to be stopped by the bumper member at the intermediate position, and causing the insulating strip 24 to be raised by the bumper member. Thisallows all contacts which were pressed against the insulating strip 24 of the trace bar 22 now to engage that trace bar, as desired. Other uncaptured contacts, being in an off position, to the right of the trace bar and not pressed against the insulating strip, cannot engage the trace bar when the insulating strip is raised.

As may be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the lower lefthand edge of the insulating strip is beveled to aid in insuring that when at a subsequent time the insulating strip is lowered, it will slide between the contact 46 and the trace bar, and cam the contact away from the trace bar. Also, the upper end of the contact 46 should preferably extend slightly above the lower edge of the retracted insulating strip to aid this action and prevent any tendency for the lower edge of the insulating strip from bumping against the extreme end of the contact, when the strip is lowered.

Circuits controlled by manual piston for shifting trace bar forwardly Reference is now made to Figure 13.

The rear or left-hand end of the trace bar 22 terminates in a downwardly slanting edge. Carried by the trace bar over this edge is a pivotal member 66 which, at its upper right-hand end is pivotally mounted on the bar 22 at 68. The lower left-hand end of the member 66 has an extension 70 which extends around and under the bar 22. There is sufiicient room or play between the lower portion of this extension 70 and the lower edge of the bar 22. to allow the member 66 a limited amount of pivotal rotation about the point 68. The member 66 is of ferromagnetic material, capable of being attracted by a magnet. There is provided, for attracting this member, a magnet 72. An energizing circuit for this magnet is provided by a current source 74, a lead 76, contacts 78, 79, and 80, a lead 81 to the magnet, and a lead 82 from the magnet to the current source 74.

There is provided a manual piston 83, spring-biased outwardly or to the right, mechanically connected so that when depressed it will shift the contact 79 into a bridging relationship between the contacts 78 and 80. This completes the energizing circuit for the magnet 72, and lifts up the member 66 to the extent of the motion permitted by its lower extension 70.

For each of the manual pistons of the organ action there is a separate trace bar like 22 and an associated selector magnet like 72.

For providing the driving force to shift to the right the trace bar like 22 corresponding to the manual piston which at any moment is depressed, there is one master power fan 84, common to a group of, or all of, the trace bars of the action. This power fan 84 comprises an L- shaped lever pivotally mounted at 85, having an extension '86, which when pulled downwardly rotates the fan in a counter-clockwise direction. For pulling the member 86 downwardly there is provided a magnet 87, and an energizing circuit for this magnet. This energizing circuit includes a lead 88 to a terminal of the current source 74, the lead 76, the contacts 78 and 79, a contact 89, and a lead 90. When the manual piston 83 is depressed, in addition to completing the energizing circuit for the selector magnet 72, it completes the energizing circuit for the magnet 87 of the power fan 84. Because the member 66 is of lower inertia than the power fan 84, when the piston 83 is actuated, the member 66 is picked up before the fan 84 rotates appreciably. However, to assure that the member 66 will respond first, the contact arrangement associated with the contact 79 may be such that this contact 79 engages the contact 80 and 78 first, and only thereafter engages the contact 89.

For the trace bar 22 for which the manual piston has been actuated, and for which the member 66 is in the up position, the power fan 84 will engage the lower left-hand end of the member 66, and as the power fan continues to rotate counter-clockwise, it will drive the trace bar 22 to the right, as desired.

For those trace bars like 22 for which a manual piston is not at the moment depressed, the members like 66 will not be in the upper position, and the lower right-hand edge of the power fan 84 will clear or pass over such members 66 so as not to shift those trace bars to the right.

The trace bar 22 is spring-biased in a backward direction (to the left), and this serves to restore it to its backward and downward position Whenever the manual piston is not held in. In addition, the right-hand portions of the grooves 26, shown in Figure 2, may have a slight slope, downwardly from right to left, for example, of about degrees with the horizontal. The left-hand portions of 8 these slots have a substantially greater slope, for example, about 45 degrees with the horizontal. This makes it possible for gravity to aid in this restoring action.

Circuits for shifting contacts The right hand end of the support member 48 is connected by a driver member 91 to the armature 92 of a magnet 93. When this magnet is energized, the armature 92 is attracted in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby shifting the driver member 91 and the support member 48 to the left.

For energizing the magnet 93 there is provided a relay 94 having a winding 95, an armature 96, a movable contact 97 and a stationary contact 98.

There are also a plurality of other stationary contacts 99 like 98, connected to other magnets like 93 which shift other supporting members similar to 48. Associated with the stationary contacts 99 are a plurality of movable ones :100. The movable contact 97, along with the similar ones, are all connected to a grounded negative terminal 101 of a current source. When the winding is energized, the contact 97 engages the contact 98, connecting it to the grounded negative terminal 101. Likewise, other contacts 99 similar to 98 are grounded whenever the winding 95 is energized. The contact 98 is connected by a lead 102 to the winding 93, which is also connected by lead 183 and lead 104 to a contact 105 of a console stop action unit 106.

Console stop action unit The console stop action unit 106 includes a frame 108 and a movable member or armature 110, having an off position and an on position. As shown, this member is pivotally mounted in the frame 108 for rocking about an axis indicated at 109. The movable member 110 has projecting portions 112 and 114-. The member 110 and the portions 112 and 114 are of ferromagnetic material, and serve as an armature. Mounted on the frame there is an on coil 1 16 and an off coil 118, associated respectively with these projections. When the coil 116 is energized, it urges the movable member 110 to rock toward the on position. When the coil 118 is energized, it urges the member 110 to rock toward the off position.

The coils 116 and 118 are provided with pole pieces 116a and 118a respectively. These pole pieces and the projecting portions 112 and 114 of the armature are shaped, as shown, so that these projecting portions may be brought close to their pole pieces by the member 110.

Extending through a slit in the frame is a strip-like movable member 120. The movable member 110 is provided with a notch midway of its outer edge, and one end of the member 120 fits into this notch. Rocking of the member 110 between on and off positions produces a corresponding motion of the member 120, which rocks, and slides slightly, in the slit in the frame. A position half-way between on and off positions, for the members 110 and 120, may be referred to as a central position.

Surrounding the member 120 is a spring 122, in com pression. One end of the spring presses against the frame 108, and the other end of the spring presses against the shoulder of the member 120, so as to urge this member into the notch of the member 110. The spring also has the effect of urging the members 110 and 120 away from their central positions and toward their on or off positions. Consequently the device is mechanically stable in its on and 011 positions but unstable in its central position. Once the device is shifted to the on position or the off position, the spring tends to hold it there.

If, while the on coil 116 is energized and after the member 110 has rocked toward the on position, the off coil 118 is subsequently energized, the member 110 will remain in the on position. That is, once this member has been rocked into the on position, the on coil is capable of holding the member in that position, despite the existence of current in the off coil. One reason for this is that the geometry of the construction of the device is such that when the member 110 is in the on position, its projecting portion 112 is in the magnetic held of the on coil 116 to a greater extent than is the projecting portion :114 in the field of the o coil 118. The coil 116 under this circumstance has the greater influence on the member 110.

There is provided a current source 124 having a grounded negative terminal. This grounded negative terminal is connected through various frame members and a lead 126 to the member 22. It is also connected to the terminal 101. The positive terminal of the current source 124 is connected by a lead 130 to the frame 108, and to one terminal of the on coil 116. Through the frame 108 there is an electrical connection of the positive terminal of this current source to the movable member 120. This connection may be partly at the point where the member 120 passes through the slit in frame 108, and may also include the connection at the pivotal point 109 through the movable member 110. In addition, if needed, the frame may be connected by a lead to the member 120.

It may therefore be seen that when the movable member 110 is in the on position, and consequently the right-hand end of the member 120 is down, this member engages the contact 105 thereby providing an energizing circuit from the current source 124 through the lead 130, the frame 108, the member 120, the contact 105, the lead 104, the lead 103, to the magnet 93, and the return path through the lead 102, the contact 98, the contact 97, to the negative grounded terminal 101 which is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the current source 124.

This energizing circuit for the magnet 93 will therefore be complete only when the console stop action unit 106 is in the on position and the contact 98 is in engagement with the contact 97.

Therefore, assuming that the console stop action unit is in the on position, it may be seen that the energizing of the magnet 93, and the consequent shifting of the support member 48 to the left, is under the control of the magnet 95 of the relay 94.

:For energizing the magnet 95, there is provided a circuit including a current source 132 having a positive terminal connected by a lead 134 to the winding 95, and there is provided a return path through a lead 136 from this winding to a contact 138. Associated with the stationary contact 138 is a movable contact 140 and another stationary contact 142. The contact 142 is connected by a lead 146 to the current source 132.

Setter button The movable contact 140 is controlled by and mechanically connected to a setter button 148, which is springbiased outwardly. When the setter button .148 is pressed in, this energizes the winding 95, and if the console stop action unit 106 is in the on position, this energizes the winding 93 and shifts the support member 48 and its contacts to the left.

Control circuit for bumper member For controlling the bumper member 40 there is provided an armature 150 and a winding 152 for attracting this armature toward the left, that is, toward an unlocked position. The bumper member 40 is spring-biased toward the right, that is, toward a locked position.

When the setter button 148 is pressed in, this completes a circuit from the current source 132 through a lead 156 to the winding 152, and through a return path 157 to the contact 138. Hence when the setter button is pressed in, the bumper member 40 is shifted toward the left, to an unlocked position.

Energizing circuit for on coil 116 The on coil 116 is connected by a lead 158 through an insulating bushing 159 through the frame 108 to the contacts 46 carried by the support member 48. All these contacts carried by a single support member 48 are electrically connected together, and to the lead 158. This connection may conveniently be through the member 48 itself, if it is of conducting material, or, alternatively, it may be of insulating material, and a separate connection, such as a lead, may be electrically connected to the contacts 46 and to the lead 158.

Whenever a contact 46 is set on the trace bar 22, and the insulating strip 24 is in the retracted position so as to enable actual electrical contact between the contact member 46 and the conducting member 22, there will be completed an energizing circuit for the on coil from the current source 124 through the lead 130, the on coil 116, the lead 158, the contact 46, the conducting member 22, and the lead 126, back to the negative terminal of the current source 124.

Energizing circuit for ofi coil 118 There is provided an ofi relay 160 having a winding 162, an armature 164, a movable contact 166, and others 167 like it, a stationary contact 168 and others 169 like it. The movable contacts, such as 166 and 167 are all connected together, and are connected to a grounded terminal 170. The stationary contact 168 is connected by a lead 172 through an insulating bushing 174 through the frame, to the off coi-l 118. The other stationary contacts 169 are connected to the off coils of other console stop action units.

The olf coil 118 is also connected by a lead 176 through an insulating bushing 178 to a contact 180, which is in a position to engage the movable member 120 when that member is in the on position.

One terminal of the winding 162 is connected to a positiveterminal of a current source at a terminal 182. The other terminal of the winding 162 is connected by a lead 184 to the metallic bumper member 40.

Bearing in mind that metallic member 22 of the trace bar is always connected by the lead 126 to the grounded negative terminal of the current source 124, it may be seen that the member 22 is always at negative or ground potential.

The metallic bumper member 40 is carried by insulating supporting and guiding means. Because the bumper member 40 is connected by the lead 184 through the wind: ing 162 to the positive terminal 182, it may be seen that the bumper member 40 comprises one side, the positive side, of a switch, and the trace bar member 22 comprises the other side, the negative side, of that switch. When the member 22 bumps against the member 40, there is electrical contact between the two, and under this circumstance an energizing circuit for the winding 162 is completed from the positive terminal 182, the winding 162, the lead 184, the bumper member 40, the trace bar member 22, the lead 126 back to the grounded negative terminal of the same current source, of which 182 is a positive terminal.

There is provided an org-an stop action control magnet 186 having a winding 188, one terminal of which is grounded. The other terminal of the winding 188 is connected by a lead 190 and the lead 104 to the contact 105. Because, as has been heretofore explained, when the console stop action unit 106 is in the on condition, the contact 105 is connected to the positive terminal of the current source 124, the result is that there is provided through that contact and the leads 104 and 190 an energizing circuit for the winding 188, which is completed through its grounded terminal, which is the same as a negative terminal of the current source 124.

It may therefore be seen that when the console stop action unit 106 is in the on position, the organ stop action control magnet will be energized. This magnet controls means for actuating a stop of the organ.

The console stop action unit 106 is provided with a. manually operable tablet 192, by which the organist may manually shift it to an on or an o condition.

Functioning of the system for setting It may be assumed initially that the console stop action unit 106 is in the off condition, and the setter button 148 and manual piston 83 are not depressed. The organist, now desiring to capture the stop which is controlled by the console stop action unit 106 and the organ stop action control magnet 186, will manually shift the console stop action unit 106 to the on position by depressing the tablet 192. Neither the on coil 116 nor the off coil 118 is energized at'this time, either before or after this stop tablet is depressed. The on coil is not energized because in this initially assumed condition, the contact 46 is not in engagement with the conducting member 22. The off coil 118 is not energized because the conducting member 22 is not now bumping against the metallic burn-per member 40; consequently the off relay 160 is not energized, and hence the energizing circuit for the off coil 118 is open between the contacts 166 and 168. It may be observed at this point that the OE coil 11 8 can never be energized if the console stop action unit 106 is entirely in the off position, because the circuit will be open between the contact 180 and the movable member 120.

After depressing the tablet 192, the organist then presses in the setter piston 148. This shifts the movable member 40 to the left, to the unlocked position, by energizing the winding 152. It also energizes the relay 94 and, because the movable member 120 is engaging the contact 105, this in turn energizes the winding 93, which shifts the support member 48 and its contact 46 to the left. The condition is now as shown in Figure 10, with the contact wires 46 pressed against the right-hand side of the trace bar. As previously mentioned, this right-hand side is coated with plastic insulating paint, and this tends to prevent accidental electrical contact between the contact 46 and the member 42. At the present moment, if there were temporary electrical contact at this point, no harm would be done, but at other times it is important to assure that a contact which is supposed to be in the off position does not accidentally come into electrical contact with the member 22.

While holding the setter button in, the organist now depresses the manual piston 83. This energizes the selector magnet '72, picks up the member 66, and then actuates the master power fan, which shifts the trace bar 22 i to the right all the way forwardly and upwardly through the notch of the unlocked bumper member, to a position as shown in Figures 6 and 7. When the trace bar 22 rises sutficiently because of the cam-and-followcr action of its grooves, its lower edge rises beyond the upper end of the central contact 46 shown in Figure 10, allowing that contact to spring to the left of the trace bar 22 and its insulating strip, as shown in Figure 10.

The organist then releases the manual piston. Because of the restoring forces, including a spring (not shown) and gravity, and because the magnet 87 is now no longer energized, the trace bar 22 now returns to its original position downwardly and to the left. The condition is now as shown in Figure 11. Having released the manual piston, the operator now for the first time releases the setter button 148. This de-energizes the magnet 95, which in turn tie-energizes the magnet 93, shifting the support member 48 to the right, to the position shown in Fi ure 12. This shifting of the member 48 to the right is produced by spring action of the armature 92 and its mounting. It may be noted that the captured contact 46 is now pressed against the insulating strip 24, as shown in Figure 3. The contact 46 is not in electrical contact with the conducting member 22, because of the interposition of the insulating strip.

When the setter button was released, it also de-energized the magnet 152, which allowed the spring-biased bumper member 40 to return to the right, to its locked position.

Now the setting operation is complete, so far as concerns the manual piston 83, its associated contact 46, and the console stop action unit.

Functioning of the system for operating stops Now when at a later time the organist wishes to bring in the stop which has been thereby captured by the piston 83, along with others similarly captured, he momentarily depresses that piston. This again energizes the selector magnet 72 and the master power fan 84, thereby shifting the trace bar 22 toward the right. Because the bumper member 40 is now locked, and because the insulating strip 24 extends forward farther than does the front end of the conducting member 22, the results are as follows:

The insulating strip is driven upwardly to a retracted position, thereby allowing the contact 46 to engage the member 22. This completes the energizing circuit for the on coil 116, and shifts the console stop action unit 106 to the on condition.

The shifting of the console stop action unit into the on position energizes the captured stop by energizing the organ stop action control magnet 186 through the contact and the movable member 1120, thereby completing a circuit from the positive terminal of the current source 124 through the winding 188 to the grounded negative terminal of that current source.

An additional result of the motion of the member 22 to the right is to cause it to bump against and come into electrical contact with the bumper member 40, thereby completing an energizing circuit for the winding 162. This in turn closes the contacts 166 and 168. When the movable member is in the on position, this provides a current path through that member and the contact 180, the off coil 118, the contacts 166 and 168, so as to energize the off coil.

For a number of reasons, the off coil cannot, in the action described above, be energized so quickly as to prevent the console stop action unit 1516 from shifting to the on condition.

The chief reason is that, when the trace bar and its insulating strip are shifted forwardly, the insulating strip is first driven upwardly by its engagement with the bumper member 40 sufficiently far to allow the contact 46 to engage the trace bar 22 electrically, and only after this electrical contact has been completed does the trace bar 22 engage the bumper member 40. It may therefore be seen that engagement of the contact 46 and the trace bar 22 completes the energizing circuit for the on coil 116 before engagement of the trace bar 22 with the bumper member 40 completes the energizing circuit for the off relay and thereby for the off coil 118.

When the trace bar mechanism shifts forwardly, the on coil 116 will therefore be able to act before the off coil 118, if its contact 46 is captured. This assures. that the unit 106 will shift to the on position, as desired.

Another circumstance which contributes to the result described above is that, when the console stop action unit is completely in the off position, the energizing circuit for the off coil 118 is open at the contact 180, and consequently, at that moment, although the on coil can be energized, the off coil cannot, and this gives the on coila head start.

From the construction which has been described, it will be understood that when the console stop action unit 106 has been shifted to the on position, and as long as the on coil 116 remains energized, then the off coil, even when energized, is unable to shift the unit 106 back to the o position.

If the contact 46 were not captured, and if for some reason the console stop action unit 106 were in the on position, then when the trace bar mechanism shifts forwardly, the contact 46 could not complete the energizing circuit for the on coil 116, but engagement of the trace bar 22 with the bumper member 40 would complete the energizing circuit for the ofl? coil 118, and this would shift the console stop action unit to the ofi position.

After having momentarily depressed the manual piston 83, the organist releases it. This de-energizes the magnet 87 and the selector magnet 72, and allows the trace bar 22 to return downwardly and to the left. This has two effects:

The first effect in point of time is to break the electrical contact between the movable member 22 and the bumper member 40. This serves the important function of promptly de-energizing the off relay 160, which in turn promptly de-energizes the off coil 118.

A second effect, which occurs later than the first effect, is that when the forward end of the insulating strip 24 is no longer pressed against the bumper member 40, this insulating strip is allowed to return to its downward or shielding position, where it is interposed between the contact 46 and the conducting member 22. This breaks the energizing circuit for the on coil after the energizing circuit for the o coil has been broken. Consequently, both the off coil and the on coil are turned off when the manual piston is released, but the off coil is turned off first, and this allows the console stop action unit 106 to remain in the on position, as desired. As long as the console stop action unit 106 is in the on position, the organ stop action control magnet 186 will remain energized, as desired.

From the above description it will be understood that the insulating strip 24 is dimensioned and positioned, in relation to the trace bar 22, the bumper member 40, and contacts like 46, so that, as the trace bar moves forwardly toward the locked bumper member, the insulating strip is retracted to allow contact 46 to engage the trace bar 22 before the trace bar 22 engages the bumper member 40, by a definite time interval; and so that, as the trace bar moves backwardly, it disengages the bumper member 40 before the insulating strip is interposed between the contact 46 and the trace bar 20, by a definite time interval. These time intervals are great enough to give the on coil 1 16 preference over the off coil 118 in the control of the console stop action unit 106. Increasing the distance by which the front end of the insulating strip extends beyond the front end of the trace bar 22 tends to increase these time intervals.

Whenever he desires, the organist may manually, by use of tablets like 192, turn off any particular stop or stops.

Also, means may be provided for turning off or cancelling all or a group of stops, simultaneously. For example, there may be provided a manually operable general cancel piston 193 for controlling a switch 195, which provides a path from the lead 184 through a lead 197 to ground or the negative side of the power source. It may therefore be seen that when the piston 193 is depressed, there is completed an energizing circuit for the winding 162 from the terminal 182 through the lead 197 and the switch 195 to ground. This results in connecting the stationary contact 168 to the movable contact 166 and the contacts 169 to the contacts 167, thereby energizing the off coils of the console stop action units which are in the on position. Since, under the assumed condition, their on coils will not be energized, these units will then be shifted to the off position, as desired.

Unsetting a contact If a stop tablet is not in the on position, and the organist now first depresses the setter button and then while holding it in, depresses the manual piston 83, this unsets the contact 46 as follows:

The setter button 148 unlocks the bumper member 40, and the manual piston raises the trace bar 22. Because the console stop action unit is in the off position, the actuated position of the setter button does not energize the winding 93. This is true because the circuit for that winding is open at the contact 105, in view of the fact that the console stop action unit is in the off position. Because the winding 93 is not energized, the support member 48 and its contacts are in their normal position to the right. Therefore the raising of the trace bar 22 allows any captured contacts to spring to the right and become uncaptured.

This therefore unsets all such contacts.

With the contact 46 unset, it will now be explained how the console stop action unit, initially on, can be shifted off, by depressing of the manual piston 83 but not the setter button 148.

When the manual piston is depressed, even though the trace bar 22 shifts to the right and strikes the locked bumper and retracts the insulated strip, if no contact 46 is set on, there will be no closing of an electrical contact between the member 22 and a contact 46. Therefore the on coil will not be energized.

However, when the member 22 engages the bumper member 40, there will be completed an energizing circuit for the o coil, because the winding 162 will be energized and this will close the contacts 166 and 168, thereby completing a circuit for the off coil 118, in view of the fact that its contact 180 was engaged by the member 120. The off coil will therefore shift the console stop action unit to the off position, as desired. When this happens, the energizing circuit for the off coil becomes broken at the contact 180.

The apparatus is designed to prevent any tendency toward chattering of the console stop action unit, which might otherwise tend to occur because the off coil can turn off its own energizing circuit. It would be undesirable to have the off coil shift the members and part-way away from the on position, and then lose control in such a manner that the spring 122 would return those members to the on position, with this action being repeated. To prevent this action, the contact is extended so that it engages the member 120 not only when that member is at exactly the on position, but also throughout a certain distance along the path of that member as it moves away from the on position.

More particularly, in one satisfactory arrangement, the contact 180 is constructed and positioned so that, when the off coil 118 is energized, and the member 120 begins to move away from the on position, the contact 180 engages the member 120 throughout a path long enough so that the members 120 and 110 acquire suflicient momentum to carry them past the central position, whereby when the member 120 finally disengages the contact 180, the members 120 and 110 are in such positions that the spring 122 will advance them to the full off position.

In one particular arrangement, the member .120 does not disengage the contact 180 until the members 120 and 110 have moved from the on position, past the central position, and are over on the OE side of the central position.

With such arrangements, the off coil is capable of moving members 120 and 110 past the central position, and chattering is prevented.

It may be noted that, now that the members 120 and 110 are entirely in the off position, as long as they remain there, it is impossible to energize the off coil, because its circuit is broken at the contact 180. Consequently, the energizing of the off relay does not send current through the off coil.

Another advantage of this arrangement, is that, at any one time there may be a considerable number of console stop action units in the system in the off condition, and they can be maintained there without any flow of current through their coils, regardless of the position of their associated pistons.

Although in many systems using the present invention the power supply for the on coil 116 and that for the off coil 11 8 may be arranged to apply approximately equal voltages to these coils, in some other systems there is an advantage in using, for the 01f coil, a power supply providing slightly less voltage than that for the on coil. This has the effect that, when the console stop action unit has been in the off position, and is shifted to the on position, if the spring 1122 is somewhat weak, the on coil is, nevertheless, capable of shifting the members 120 and 1 10 to the on position and holding them there, without any tendency for them to bobble when the off coil is energized. In most systems, however, this particular arrangement is not needed.

Figures 14 and show another form of contactsupporting and shifting mechanism. In this arrangement, the contacts are supported from points above the lower edge of the trace bar, extend downwardly, and terminate in a hook-shaped portion.

As shown in Figures 14 and 15, there is provided a trace bar .200, supported in a U-shaped member 201 and carrying on one of its sides, at its lower edge, an insulated strip 202. This trace bar and its insulated strip are like the trace bar 22 and insulated strip 24, which have been described. Likewise, the means for supporting and moving the trace bars are generally similar.

Instead of contacts like 46, there is provided a series of hook-shaped contacts like 204, of resilient metal, sup ported by an eyelet 2.06 on an insulating supporting member 208. The contact 204 is so mounted that it tends to spring toward the right, as shown in Figure 15. If the trace bar 200 is raised, in the manner which has heretofore been described, the contact 204 may be shifted so that its end is to the left of the insulating strip 202. If, while the contact 204 is in that position, the trace bar 200 is lowered, the contact will be captured so that its end is pressed against the insulating strip 200. When, at a subsequent time, this strip is raised, the contact 204 will engage the trace bar 200 electrically.

For shifting contact 204 in that manner, there is provided a lever 2 10 having a lower portion 212 for pushing the contact 204 to the left, and an upper portion 214 by which this lever itself may be actuated. The lever 210 extends, at an intermediate portion, through a hole in the member 208, and this hole may conveniently be at the point where the eyelet 206 supports the contact 204.

For actuating this lever, there is provided a shifting member 216 provided with a notch 218. The member .216 extends through a notch at the upper part of the member 208, and is adapted to be shifted in this notch. The lever 210 has an arm 220 which is booked through the notch 218 in the member 216. The member 216 may be of metal or insulating material. Electrical connecting means are provided for electrically connecting the contact 204 to similar contacts shifted by the same member 216 with respect to other trace bars. If the member 216 is of metal, it may serve as part of this connecting means.

When the member 216 is pushed toward the right in Figure 15, it rotates the lever 2-10 in a counter-clockwise direction, and this lever in turn pushes the lower end 'of the contact 204 toward the left, so that itmay be captured, in the manner described.

The contact arrangement of Figures 14 and 15 may be incorporated into the system of Figure 13 by attaching the shifting member 216 to the member 91, so that when the member 91 is shifted to the left in Figure -13, it urges contacts such as 204 toward a captured position. In the system, the contact 204 will replace the contact 46, the trace bar 200 will replace the trace bar 22, and the insulating strip 202 will replace the insulating strip 24. The arrangements for raising the trace bar 200, and for raising the insulating strip 202, are the same as those previously described in connection with Figs. l-13. From this, the operation of .the components of Figs, 14

and 15, when incorporated in the system of Fig. 13, will be clear.

Although the insulating strip 24 or 202 in the previously-described embodiments may be entirely of insulating material, it may, in other embodiments, comprise a core of metal, covered entirely or partly with a layer of insulating material. In general it will be so constructed that, in one position of the mechanism, the insulating strip insulates the contacts from the main conducting member, and in another position of the mechanism, it enables these contacts to engage this member.

Still other variations are also possible. In the specific embodiments described above, it will be noted that, to enable the captured contacts to engage the conducting member of the trace bar, the relative motion between the insulating strip and the conducting member was most significantly an upward motion of the insulating strip away from the lower edge of the bar. While this has unique advantages, the invention in its broadest aspect is not limited to this arrangement.

For example, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17, there may be employed a trace bar mechanism having an insulated bar 22, means for setting contacts against the side of the bar near its lower edge, and a metallic conducting strip 24' movably carried, by slots and eyelets, on the same side of the bar as that against which the contacts are set. As shown in Fig. 16, this conducting strip is normally retracted away from the lower edge of the bar far enough so the conducting strip cannot engage the contacts. For operating the contacts, this strip is cammed downwardly as shown in Fig. 17 and engages the contacts, as desired.

In such a modified arrangement Fig. 17 shows the elements after the conducting strip 24, normally springbiased upwardly, has been cammed downwardly by the bumper member 40 to engage contacts 46 which had been set against the insulating bar 22. To produce this downward motion, the strip 24' is supported on the bar 22 by slots 31 slanting downwardly from right to left as shown in Figures 16 and 17 instead of from left to right as shown in Figure 2. As may be seen in Fig. 16, when the contact 46 is set-on but the mechanism is not operated, the conducting strip is retracted upward, by the spring, so as not to engage contacts such as 46. The lead 126 in this modified arrangement is connected to the conducting strip 24'. Whenever the conducting strip engages the captured contacts 46', it connects those contacts with the lead 126. When the conducting strip moves into engagement with the contacts, it may be interposed between them and the insulating bar so as to lift them away from the bar, but in other arrangements the conducting strip may move into engagement with the contacts while still leaving them in engagement with the insulating bar. The insulating bar 22' could be entirely of rigid insulating material, or could comprise a metallic core covered with insulating material.

If necessary, in this modification, in order to make certain that the on coil 116 predominates over the off coil 118, various arrangements may be employed,

such as designing the relay and its contacts so that it is slow to close its contacts but quick to open them. Thus, for this action, in the open position the distance of the contact 166 from the contact 168 may be relatively large, requiring a long motion for closing these contacts; but when the relay begins to release, the motion from the closed position to that at which the contacts 166 and 168 disengage, may be small.

It will be noted that a common feature of several embodiments of the trace bar mechanism is that the setting contact sets against an insulating member. This member may, for example, be of plastic or other insulating material, or metal covered with plastic or other insulating material. It may be a piston slide, or a movable member carried by it.

More generally, there has been described a capture-type combination action, including a contact electrode and a conducting electrode for controlling a console stop action unit. When setting, the relationship between the contact electrode and the conducting electrode is changed from ed to potentially-on. When operating, the relationship of the electrodes thus set is changed from potentially-on to on. These two electrodes are electrically isolated from one another in the off ad potentiallyon conditions, but not in the on condition.

It will be understood that in the system schematically represented in Figure 13, various components are repeated. Thus there would be actually employed a plurality of console stop action units having their on coils connected to and controlled by contacts like 46 carried by other support members like 48, and their 01f coils connected to and controlled with the aid of contacts such as 169. The other support members like 48 are shifted by other relays like 94 controlled by contacts like 99. Other manual pistons like 83 control other trace bar mechanisms associated with other contacts like 46. A plurality of trace bar mechanisms is controlled by one bumper member 40 having a corresponding plurality of notches.

From the previous description it will be understood that when the organist depresses a manual piston but not the setter button, this shifts to an off position console stop action units for which the contacts are un-set (so far as the trace bar controlled by that piston is concerned), and shifts to an on position console stop action units for which the contacts are set on the trace bar controlled by that piston. Therefore, having brought in stops controlled by a first manual piston, if the organist wishes to turn off their console stop action units and also bring in stops controlled by a second piston, he depresses the second piston, which produces both eifects. This follows from the fact that trace bar controlled by the second piston, in addition to energizing the desired on" coils like 116, also, when it strikes the bumper member, energizes the oif relay. That in turn, through contacts 169, energizes the oif coils for various console stop act-ion units which are on. If their on coils are not energized, they will be turned off, as desired.

Although the console stop action unit 106 has been shown in the drawings as consisting of electromagnetic and mechanical components, it will be understood that pneumatic components may also be included or substituted to obtain an equivalent over-all effect.

While an illustrative form of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the general principles and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A single-slide setting and operating mechanism for capture-type combination actions for organs, comprising an insulating member, a conducting member adjacent said insulating member, a plurality of connecting devices connecting said members to one another in facewise relation, one of said members being movable relative to the other, a plurality of contacts associated with said members, for engaging and disengaging said conducting member, contact-shifting means connected to said contacts for shifting their position, a plurality of console stop action units,

' each having an on coil and an off coil, circuit means connecting individual ones of said contacts to energize individual ones of said on coils, respectively, whenever said contact engages said conducting member, actuating means connected to said contact-shifting means for setting selected ones of said contacts at positions where they engage said insulating member but are spaced apart from said conducting member, thereby capturing said selected contacts, and member-shifting means connected to at least one of said members for producing such relative motion between said members as to engage said conducting member with said captured contacts, to thereby 18 energize the said on coils controlled by said captured contacts.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said conducting member is carried on a side of said insulating member, and said contact is set against said side of said insulating member.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said insulating member is carried on a side of said conducting member, and said contact is set against the side of said insulating member opposite said conducting member.

4. In a single-slide setting and operating mechanism for capture-type combination actions for organs, in combination, an elongated bar member, an elongated strip member, said strip member being movably mounted on said bar member in face-to-face relation thereto and extending along the same, connecting means interconnecting said members so as to enable said strip member to be moved with respect to said bar member from a first position along a path to a second position, one of said members comprising electrically conducting material so as to serve as a conductor member and the other of said members comprising insulating material so as to serve as an insulating member, a plurality of movable contacts, setting means connected to said contacts for setting selected ones of said contacts at positions in said path where they engage said insulating member, thereby capturing said selected contacts, actuating means connected to at least one of said members for producing relative movement between said members to cause said selected cap tured contacts which have been set against said insulating member, to engage said conducting member, a plurality of console stop action units, each having an on coil and an o coil, and circuit means connected to said conducting member, to said on coils, and to said contacts, said circuit means including an energizing circuit for causing an individual contact to energize an individual on coll, respectively, whenever said contact engages said conducting member, whereby actuation of said actuating means causes said captured contacts to engage said conducting member, thereby to energize the on coils controlled by said captured contacts.

5. A single-slide setting and operating mechanism for capture-type combination actions for organs, comprising an insulating member, an electrically conducting member movably mounted on a side of said insulating member, a plurality of individual contacts, setting means connected to said contacts for urging only selected ones of said contacts against said insulating member, to capture said selected contacts, and operating means connected to at least one of said members for shifting said conducting member with respect to said insulating member toward said cap tured contacts to bring said conducting member into an electrically conducting relation with said captured contacts, and for shifting said conducting member with respect to said insulating member to a position where it is spaced apart from all of said contacts.

6. In :a capture-type combination action for an organ, in combination, a console stop action unit having an on coil and an oil coil, a trace bar, a plurality of contacts operably opposed to said trace bar and spaced along the same, one of said contacts being always connected tosaid on coil, trace bar shifting means connected to said trace bar and including a manual control for longitudinally shifting said trace bar forwardly, a bumper member having a locked position and an unlocked position, located forwardly of said trace bar, bumper member shifting means connected to said bumper member and including a setter button for shifting said bumper member to its unlocked position where said trace bar may pass by it to a full-forward position, said bumper member being adapted to limit forward motion of said trace bar to an intermediate position when in its locked position, said trace bar shifting means including means for shifting said trace bar vertically when it moves past said bumper member to its full-forward position, whereby selected ones of said contacts may be captured by said trace bar when said bumper member is unlocked, and a plurality of other trace bars, similar to said first-mentioned one, supported in position to be controlled by said same bumper member.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 comprising circuit means connected to said on coil for energizing it, said circuit means including said trace bar and said contact connected to said on coil, and means connected to said foff coil for energizing said olf coil, including said trace bar and said bumper member, serving as a switch when said trace bar is in its intermediate position, said coil-energizing means being adapted to energize said on coil before said coil. v

8. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, in combination, a manual, control, a trace bar, means connected to and controlled by said manual control for shifting said trace bar longitudinally, a series of setting and operating contacts comprising, with said trace bar, switching means, each of said contacts having an o position, a potentially-on position, and an on position, said contacts being in electrical engagement with said trace bar only when in their on" position, a notched bumper member, supported in front of said trace bar, and having a locked position where it limits the forward movement of said trace bar, "and being movable to an unlocked position, where it enables said trace bar to be moved still farther forward through one of its notches, and also to be shifted in a transverse direction to a retracted position, setting means connected to said bumper member and to said trace bar and including a setter button for shifting said bumper member to its unlocked position, and for shifting said trace bar to its retracted position, whereby selected contacts may be shifted from their off position to their potentially-on position, means connected to said trace bar operable by forward movement of said trace bar toward said bumper member when said bumper member is in its locked position for shifting said selected contacts from their potentially-on position to their fon position, and means connected to said trace bar and said contacts for actuating stops of said organ when said contacts engage said trace bar.

9. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, a trace bar device comprising a conducting member and an insulating member, a series of contacts, means connected to said contacts for shifting selected ones of said contacts from an unset position to a set on position against said insulating member, to capture the same, a bumper member located forward of said trace bar device, operating means connected to said trace bar device for shifting said trace bar device forwardly and for producing relative movement between said insulating member and said conducting member so as to bring said conducting member and said captured contacts into electrical contact and thereafter to bring said conducting member into electrical contact with said bumper member, a console stop action unit having an on coil and an off coil, means responsive to engagement of one of said captured contacts with said conducting member for energizing said on coil, said last-mentioned means including circuit means connected to said on coil and to said contacts, and means connected to said bumper member and to said ofi coil, responsive to engagement of said conducting member with said bumper member for energizing said 0 coil, whereby to energize'first said on coil and then both said coils.

10. A single slide setting and operating mechanism for capture-type combination actions for organs, comprising a trace bar including an electrically conducting member, an insulating member movably mounted on at least one side of said conducting member, a plurality of individual contacts associated with said trace bar, setting means for urging only selected ones of said contacts againstsaid insulating member and toward said conducting member, whereby said trace bar may capture said selected contacts, and operating means for producing relative motion between said insulating member and said conducting member, adapted to enable said captured contacts to engage said conducting member in an electrically conducting relation.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 in which each of said contacts has a resilient shank on the side of said trace bar away from said insulating member and a hook-shaped end portion, and means supporting said contacts so that when captured their hook-shaped end portions are pressed,- near their tips, against said insulating member and toward said conducting member.

l2.- Apparatus as in claim 10 in which said contacts are generally whisker-shaped, a plurality of elongated support members extending generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of said trace bar, each'of said support members carrying a plurality of said contacts,- said support members being shiftable to and away from a position where their captured contacts are urged against their insulating members.

13. Apparatus as in claim 10 including means for shifting said trace bar forward, longitudinally, a console stop action unit having an on coil and an o coil, means for energizing said on coil in response to the engagement of said conducting member by said captured contacts, a metallic bumper member located forward of said trace bar, shiftable to a locked position and to an unlocked position, said bumper member when in said locked position serving as a portion of said means for producing said relative motion between said insulating member and said conducting member, and also being adapted toengage said conducting member of said trace bar when it shifts forward, and means including said bumper member and said trace bar for energizing said off coil of a console stop action unit when said conducting member engages said bumper member.

14. A single slide setting and operating mechanism for capture-type combination actions for organs, comprising a trace bar including an electrically conducting member, an insulating member movably mounted on at least one side of said conducting member, a plurality of individual contacts associated with said trace bar, setting means for urging only selected ones of said'contacts against said insulated member and toward said conducting member,

whereby said trace bar may capture said selected contacts, said setting means including means for sliding said trace bar from a starting position past an intermediate bet and said conducting member, to enable said captured contacts to engage said conducting member, said operating means including said trace-bar-sliding means, and a bumper member in the path of said trace bar and its insulating member for preventing their motion past said intermediate position and for producing such relative motion between said insulating member and said conducting member as to withdraw said insulating member from between said selected contacts and said conducting member, thereby enabling said contacts to engage said conducting member in an electrically conducting relation.

15. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, a support member, a metallic trace bar, cam-and-follower means for supporting said trace bar below said support member, adapted to enable said trace bar to be translated from a normal position forwardly along a path first in a generally longitudinal direction to an intermediate position and then in an upwardly slanting direction to a retracted position, a strip of insulating material, means mounting said strip on a side of said trace bar adapted to enable said strip to move from a shielding position backwardly and upwardly relative to said trace bar to an unshielding position, the forward end of said strip extending farther forward than said trace bar, combined setting and operating contacts for controlling stops, means, includingtrace-bar-retracting means, for shifting selected ones of said contacts from an unset position on the side 21 of said trace bar opposite said insulating strip to a "set-on position on the other side of said bar and urging them against said strip, whereby to capture said selected and shifted contacts, a bumper member movable to a position forward of said insulating strip and said trace bar, and operating means for translating said trace bar forwardly so that said insulating strip engages said bumper member and is driven upwardly to its unshielding position, thereby enabling said contacts to engage said trace bar.

16. Apparatus as in claim 15 in which said insulating strip extends forward far enough to enable said captured contacts to .engage said trace bar before said trace ba-r engages said bumper member, a console stop action unit having an on coil and an o coil, means responsive to engagement of one of said contacts with said trace bar for energizing said on coil, and means responsive to engagement of said trace bar with said bumper member for energizing said ofi' coil.

17. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, a combined setting and operating mechanism, comprising a plurality of groups of stop-controlling contacts; means electrically interconnecting the individual contacts in each said group; stopactuating means connected to each said group for controlling individual stops of said organ; a plurality of manual controls; a corresponding plurality of conductive circuit elements individually controlled by said manual controls; each of said conductive circuit elements being positioned in an opposed relation to a plurality of contacts including one from each of said groups; means for shifting selected individual ones of said contacts from an off position to a potentially-on position, whereby to set the mechanism so that individual manual controls have captured individual stops; said contacts, when in their off and potentially-on positions, being in electrically non-conducting relation with their said conductive element; and for each of said manual controls, operating means associated with its conductive element for shifting into an on condition of electrical conduction with said element only the potentially-on contacts associated with said element; said stopactuating means being adapted to actuate a stop when one of its said stop-controlling contacts is in its said on condition of electrical conduction with its said conductive element.

18. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, a console stop action unit including an on coil, an off coil, and a movable member adapted to be shifted thereby to on and off positions, an energizing circuit for each of said coils, means included in the energizing circuit of said off coil and responsive to the movement of said member for opening said Iastanentioned circuit when said member moves farther than a predetermined point toward said off position, a manual control, a trace bar, a contact having an on position engaging said trace bar and an off position, said energizing circuit for said on coil including said contact and said trace bar, and said energizing circuit for said oh coil including said movable member, and means coupled to said trace bar and responsive to said manual control for shifting said contact into its on position for energizing said 011" coil, a conducting member coupled to the en ergizing circuit for said ofi coil, and means responsive to said manual control and operatively associated with said trace bar for bringing said trace bar into an electrically conducting relationship with said conducting member to energize said off coil after said contact has been shifted to its on position in engagement with said trace bar, whereby first said on coil and then both said coils are energized in response to actuation of said manual control.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 including means for shifting said trace bar forwardly, and a conducting bumper member located forward of said trace bar, said energizing circuit for said 055 coil including said trace bar and said bumper member.

20. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, in combination, a manual control, a series of contacts, each movable to a captured position and to an uncaptured position, a plurality of console stop action units, each said unit being controlled by an associated one of said contacts, a movable trace bar operatively associated with said contacts for engaging and disengaging said contacts, trace bar moving means operatively associated with said trace bar and with said manual control for moving said trace bar forwardly along a path in response to actuation of said manual control, each said unit including an on coil, an o coil, and a movable member operatively associated with said coils movable to an on position and an 011 position thereby, an energizing circuit for an on coil of one of said units, said energizing circuit including said trace bar and one of said contacts in its captured position for engaging said trace bar, an energizing circuit for said off coil of said unit including a bumper member operatively associated with said trace bar, said bumper member being positioned at a location far enough forward in said path of said trace bar that actuation of said manual control first brings said trace bar into engagement with said captured contact and thereby energizm said on coil so as to shift said movable member to its on position, and thereafter brings said trace bar into engagement with said bumper member and thereby energizes also said off coil, and means connected to said captured contact for shifting it to an uncaptured position in spaced-apart relation to said trace bar, whereby actuation of said manual control when said contact is in its uncaptured position brings said trace bar into engagement with said bumper member to energize said off coil and thereby shifts said movable member to its off position and an organ stop action control element connected to be responsive to the position of said movable member and responsive to its position whereby said one contact controls the shifting of said console stop action unit to on and oif positions.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20 including a general cancel control, and an off-coil energizing circuit connected to said control and to said off coil and including a contact positioned to engage said movable member when it is in its on position, said last-mentioned circuit being responsive to actuation of said general cancel control for energizing the off coil of the said console stop action units which have their movable members in the on position, to shift said units to an oil? position.

22. In a capture-type combination action for an organ, a console stop action unit including an on coil, an off coil and a movable member adapted to be shifted thereby to on and off positions, an energizing circuit for each of said coils, means responsive to the move ment of said member for opening the energizing circuit for said 0 coil when said member moves farther than a predetermined point toward said off position, a manual piston, a trace bar, a contact having an on position engaging said trace bar and an off position at which it is clear of said trace bar, said energizing circuit for said on coil includin said trace bar and said contact, means coupled to said trace bar and responsive to said manual piston for bringing said contact into engagement with said trace bar, a conducting member, means coupled to said trace bar and adapted to bring said trace bar into contact with said conducting member in response to actuation of said manual piston, subsequent to the bringing or" said contact into engagement with said trace bar, said conducting member being in the energizing circuit for said oii coil, whereby actuation of said manual piston may energize first said on coil and then both said on and ed coils, means connected to said trace bar for disengaging said trace bar from said conducting member and then from said contact when said manual piston is reieased, so as to open the energizing circuit for first said off and then said on coil, leaving said conducting member in its on position, an o relay assembly, said off relay assembly including contacts in the energizing circuit for said off coil and being connected to close said contacts when said trace bar engages said conducting member, and a general cancel piston adapted, When actuated, to energize said ofi relay, whereby if said movable member is in its on position, actuation of said general cancel piston will complete the energizing circuit for said off coil alone, to shift said movable member to its ofi position, and whereby if said movable member is in its on position but said contact is not in engagement with said trace bar, actuation of said manual piston will bring said trace bar into engagement with said conducting member, thereby completing the energizing circuit for said off coil, and shifting said movable member to its off position.

23. Apparatus according to claim 17, including an ini '24 sulating member connected to, and movably mounted in facewise relation to, each of said conductive circuit elements, for engaging said opposed contacts Whensaid contacts are in their potentially-on positions.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,901,552 Dargis Mar. 14, 1933 2,104,338 Wick Jan. 4, 1938 2,127,266 'Moonhouse et a1 Aug. 16, 1938 2,612,810 Kent Oct. 7, 1952 2,699,085 Zuck Jan. 11, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 944,528 France Nov. 2, ,1948 

